


Into The Pixie Forest (hiatus)

by shahondin



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: ?? - Freeform, Humor, M/M, More tags to be added!, Not Beta Read, hongjoong is a potion maker, modern fantasy au!, on a mission, pls be patient, pretty sure there will be smut in later chapters, seonghwa is a mystery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:12:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23412130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shahondin/pseuds/shahondin
Summary: Hongjoong, a young potion maker, lives a quite life in the city until Mingi barges into his flat with worrying news. Forced to seek out a stranger living deep in the bewitched woods, an unexpected friendship arises -- a friendship that slowly turns into more.orYunho and Mingi fucked up a spell, Seonghwa has secrets and Hongjoong has to help everyone.Notice:This fanfic was formerly called Wolfsmensch!
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 28
Kudos: 98





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [murmurmeow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/murmurmeow/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to this fanfic that was only supposed to be 1.5k words long! I got carried away haha
> 
> The idea for this is based on a prompt from Daria! I love your idea way so much, thank you for giving me motivation when I needed it the most ily
> 
> Updates are weekly~

“Okay, let me get this straight: You saw a cat on your neighbor’s roof-”

“It was white and had two fluffy, rose tails, hyung!”

“--and you tried to get its attention by doing a fireworks spell. Inside. In your tiny flat.”

“In our defense, only one firecracker hit the ceiling.”

Hongjoong narrows his eyes, daring Mingi to say one more word. His younger friend closes his mouth immediately and grimaces.

“Well, apparently it was enough to cause some damage on Yunho. Is he only changing hair colors randomly so far?”

Mingi grimaces even more, his entire face scrunching up in a very strange way. “Uhm…”

“Oh, spit it out! I don’t have all day.” As if to demonstrate his ever present lack of time, Hongjoong turns around to stir the potion currently boiling in the cauldron under his window. He accidentally hits the pot with herbs next to it and curses under his breath when a shrub rosemary falls to the ground, right where he stores his bat eyes. He should consider cleaning up his working place.

“I think he’s running a fever too?” Mingi answers the question eventually, his voice small and unsure while he observes Hongjoong kick the bucket underneath the bench in frustration, a strand of light grey hair slipping from the smaller’s bun. The young potion maker eyes the small bottles on the side board that jiggle dangerously. Maybe he should store his self-made hair dye somewhere else. Or use one for a change, his dark roots are already showing. 

“Give him medicine? You should still have some I gave you earlier this year.” Hongjoong dismisses the other easily. He glances at the other cauldron to his left and sighs. The color is still off and he’s not sure why. Perhaps he should add a tad more mashed rhydon horn. 

Mingi shuffles from foot to foot in a fidgeting manner. “That’s not working! Hyung, come over and take a look at him, please?”

The worried tone of his voice finally makes Hongjoong glance up from his work, eyebrows drawn together in discontent. He really doesn’t have time right now. There are two clients waiting for their potions and at least one of them is a rude, impatient ass. An ass, that pays good money, though. 

Still, Yunho is like his little brother...

“Okay, but we take your bike and you will drive me back too.” There’s no way they’re using a car or the subway at this time of the day. The city is way too crowded. 

Mingi lights up instantly and exits the flat within a second. After scaling down the heat under both cauldrons, Hongjoong grabs his emergency backpack and follows, secretly glad about the distraction and sure Yunho only has a mild concussion. 

-

However, Yunho’s fever is running high by the time they reach the flat at the edge of the city. He’s smiling but Hongjoong is pretty sure his friend is delirious. His glazed eyes and him talking about sunflower faries building a snowman in the shower are strong indicators. Let alone the unusual heat waves coming off of him.

“At least his hair is back to normal?” Mingi tries to be positive, even though his voice is strained and obviously forced to sound cheerful. 

Hongjoong doesn’t acknowledge him, he’s too busy applying a cooling salve on his friend’s forehead and taking his exact temperature. 

“The ghost in our toilet thinks you’re cute, hyung.” Yunho grins up at the older, looking straight at his nose.

“Ghosts aren’t real, Yunho.” Hongjoong rolls his eyes while he rummages in his bag. He takes out a vial with clear liquid inside and gestures for Mingi to hold Yunho up a bit so he is able to hold the unscrewed vial under his mouth. 

“Spit.” Yunho does what he’s told and giggles afterwards. He drops down on the bed again and engages Mingi in a conversation about planting a tree inside their kitchen so they could attract a tree spirit and befriend it. Hongjoong doesn’t hear them, though. He’s staring at the now bright blue liquid with growing concern. All thoughts about his clients, payment and reputation fly out the window in an instant. This is not good. 

-

He only tells Mingi enough to not worry him too much but makes the situation clear -- Yunho needs help. As fast as possible. He should be able to endure this condition for a few days without taking lasting damage but Hongjoong should still hurry.

Fortunately, he once read about a potion suited to cure internal flames. It only takes a few minutes to find the recipe in one of his books after he said goodbye to Mingi in front of his apartment complex. He reads the list of ingredients thoroughly: calming draught made of moonlit gentian as a base, sparkling strawberries, one withered hyacinth as well as three spoons of mucus from rain snails (the big kind). 

Unfortunately, there is one more ingredient that is hard to come by… 

“Do you even know how rare goblin toenails are?” Yeosang’s voice is calm as always but he still manages to sound annoyed to no end. Hongjoong doesn’t need to see him to know he’s pinching his nose between his thumb and pointer. 

“So you don’t have any?” 

His go-to supplier slash friend laughs on the other end of the phone. When he doesn’t stop laughing after a minute, Hongjoong is close to hang up without further ado. Thankfully, Wooyoung takes the phone from his partner. “I know of someone who sells a lot of rare stuff but he lives so far off that the council never bothered to register him.”

“Please tell me he lives somewhere close.” Hongjoong begs, his mind already filled with horror scenarios. He’ll never use the Raven Taxi ever again. 

There’s rustling and clanking on the other end of the line before Wooyoung hums. “He’s supposed to have a hut somewhere in the Pixie Forest.”

-

The Pixie Forest is a strange place, a few hours away from the city and generally avoided by folks. Pixies are mischievous, little things that love to trap you inside the labyrinth of trees and bushes so it’s no surprise that Hongjoong’s motorbike is the only vehicle near the forest edge. He pushes it the last few meters until he reaches the first tree but doesn’t dare to lean his bike against it. Instead, he activates the locking spell and turns to face the opening of the woods where two treetops are entwined to form a gate. 

Some tales say pixies painted the leaves blue because they miss the snow in this evergreen landscape. Others insists that the color is supposed to warn you of the death inside. Mingi thinks pixies just love colors and bets there are trees with lots of differently dyed leaves deeper inside. 

Only one way to find out. 

Hongjoong takes a deep breath, clutches the straps of his backpack in both hands and steps over the invisible line. The air feels thicker instantly. It’s harder to breathe but other than that Hongjoong notices no difference. The ever present thrum of magic is as strong as before, the sun shines as brightly and he still hears the birds chirping.

With no immediate danger in front of him, Hongjoong wanders deeper into the woods. Wooyoung wasn’t able to give him an exact location, only a vague description of the way. It’s not like Hongjoong intents to leave the path anyway so everything’s fine. For now. 

Around 10 minutes later his mobile reception cuts off, 30 more minutes and there seems to be a veil above the treetops, another 40 minutes later and Hongjoong wonders if he’s running in circles. 

“I’m pretty sure, I already passed you.” He frowns at the fallen stem that blocks his way and which he swears he already climbed over once. Of course, there’s no answer no matter how hard Hongjoong stares at it. He sits down, his feet are hurting and the tense air makes him dizzy. It’s then that he remembers a song his mother used to sing when he was still a kid, sitting on the counter while she chopped herbs. It’s a song from old times, when some witches and wizards still used human sacrifices to do blood magic. According to the council those dark people are long gone but what if… 

A shiver runs down Hongjoong’s spine. Wooyoung wouldn’t lead him to someone like that, right? On the other hand… Why would someone live in the damn Pixie Forest if they don’t have something to hide.

Hongjoong closes his eyes as he stands still. The leaves rustle above him in a steady rhythm, no other noise is heard around him. “There’s no need to be afraid.” He says out loud in hopes of encouraging himself to go on. This is about Yunho’s health and not about his irrational fear. And even if that person turns out to be a threat, Hongjoong is perfectly capable of defending himself. He’ll turn around and run for his life if the hut is made of gingerbread, though.

After a moment of calming himself down, he pulls the backpack from his shoulders and takes of the dagger from a secret pocket inside. He secures it on his belt and straps his bag on again. 

So what was the song about again? Two siblings getting lost in the woods in the middle of the night… Well, it’s still daytime. What else… “Bread crumbs!” He gasps and scolds himself immediately afterwards. How did he not remember earlier? 

Food is way too precious when you don’t know when you’ll be able to get replenishment so Hongjoong uses stones he finds by the wayside. He carefully stacks five stones as a small pyramide every ten meters. It takes time but now he can be sure to not run in circles anymore.

The sun is still up when he reaches a clearing and finally sees flowers. The entire ground is covered in rainbow colors and - Hongjoong can’t help but laugh - the leaves of the trees on the other side of the clearing are purple. “I have to tell Mingi.” He chuckles, happy to see such a mix of colors when all he was surrounded by for hours was blue. He’s about to take a photo for his friend when he notices movement to his right.

The dagger is secure in his hand in a matter of seconds, his eyes focused on the low bush. Crouching down, Hongjoong approaches the bush, slow and careful. However, when he reaches it, nothing’s there. No bird, no squirrel, no pixie. What he discovers, though, is light grey smoke in the distance.

“The hut!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hänsel und Gretel verliefen sich im Wald ~~♪
> 
> Do you think Hongjoong will get the precious toenails without trouble? What will Seonghwa be like? Let me know your ideas, I love to hear them!
> 
> See you next chapter <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone looking forward to meet Seonghwa... enjoy! :D

Who even bothers to hang up a _’Do not disturb!!’_ sign when that person lives so far off from everything and everyone? Hongjoong doesn’t know and he’s not sure if he wants to find out. Those two exclamation marks are a tiny little bit intimidating. 

However, he didn’t wander around this strange forest for hours only to be dismissed by a piece of cardboard with some red pencil strokes on it. To be honest, the sign seems a bit half-assed and that’s why, brave as he is, Hongjoong knocks on the door and waits. And waits. And waits some more. 

Maybe he wasn’t heard?

He tries again. And waits. And waits still. He raises his fist to knock a third time when the door flies open causing him to jump back with a barely suppressed yelp. 

Now, when you think about a person that would like to live secluded from other humans, you surely think of ancient men with long beards or old woman who’ve seen it all and just want their peace. Or those strange folks that seem like they lose their mind any minute now - or the ones who already did. The young man in front of him appears to be one of the latter cases. He’s taller than Hongjoong even in his slightly crouched position, his dark brown hair is overgrown so that his bangs cover parts of his brown eyes -- eyes that bore into Hongjoong as if they want to turn him into dust right where he stands. 

Neither of them say anything for a solid moment. It takes so long that Hongjoong feels less intimidated and more and more awkward overall. “Hello, my name is Hongjoong and I look for someone to sell me goblin toenails.” He tries his best at a friendly smile and hopes the guy will react, preferable in a positive way.

The other continues to stare, though, not blinking for so long that his right eye starts to twitch. 

When he finally speaks his voice is rough yet higher than expected. “Who even told you-- Whatever.” He cuts himself off, turns around in a jerky motion and leaves from view without another word.

The still opened door seems like Hongjoong’s invitation inside so he quickly follows before the stranger can think otherwise. 

“Nice place.” Hongjoong says, still set on changing the mood to something less awkward. And seriously, the hut is spotless and organized in a way Hongjoong can only dream to achieve. There are tons of books in shelves under the window on the left, a cozy looking reading corner right above them with a small table next to it. On his right side, there are more shelves with loads of bottles and packages housing different items and ingredients judging by the neatly written labels. The guy is able to write in such a neat manner but his sign was still a joke. Apropos the guy, where even is he?

Hongjoong doesn’t have to wonder for long, though. The stranger appears seemingly out of thin air right next to him, startling Hongjoong the second time within minutes. This time, a tiny yelp manages to escape him. 

“Here. Go.” The other’s voice is almost a snarl, causing Hongjoong to take the offered package with wide eyes. 

It takes a second for him to find his words again. “What about payment?”

“Whatever. Just go.” He’s staring again, oh no. Those eyes are even closer to Hongjoong now, which is very, very unnerving.

“Thank you. Have a nice day.” One more forced smile and Hongjoong is out of the hut.

-

The way back only takes around 20 minutes and Hongjoong is confused but doesn’t question anything: not that the stones he placed on the path are now merely 3 steps apart nor the faint, high-pitched singing somewhere in the distance. He doesn’t bring the change of air into question nor does he wonder about the bright yellow petals falling from the sky from time to time.

The Pixie Forest in a place he’ll never step into again.

Never. Again.

.  
.  
.

Or so he thought.

“What the fu--” 

“Oh nice, hyung, you brought star pie!” 

Hongjoong buries his head in his hands and groans loudly. Jongho doesn’t seem to mind the other’s state of frustration. He happily cuts the pie in slices and helps himself to one piece.

“So where are the nasty toenails? The calming draught is ready for them.” The younger speaks with a full mouth and points at the small cauldron on the portable hotplate next to them on the kitchen table. Jongho, bless his soul, brewed the potion base after Hongjoong shot him a short text before he drove to the forest.

“He gave me the wrong package…” He’s so close to tears, they are already prickling at the back of his eyes.

“So? Just go back tomorrow morning and tell him.”

He loves Jongho, really. If anyone is to harm the younger, Hongjoong would poison them without regret. But right now, he barely holds himself back from screaming right into the other’s ears.

He reconsiders when he sees the honest expression on Jongho’s face. 

“Yes, that’s a good idea.”

Jongho smiles and slides the pie across the table. “Take a bite! It’s really good.”

-

The next morning brings light rain and a thick blankets of clouds as far as you can see. Hongjoong doesn’t care, he’s way too tired after he stayed up all night to complete his potions. The clients will come over in the afternoon so there’s no time for sleep. Jongho is so kind to stay at Hongjoong’s flat to take care of the potion for Yunho while he also will waste his time playing Breath Of The Wild all day long.

Yunho’s condition is still the same when Hongjoong visits him and Mingi in the early morning hours. He slept a lot and in his waking time he’s still quite talkative. Hongjoong instructs Mingi to make sure their friend drinks enough and leaves a fresh pot of cooling salve on the bedside table.

Rain hits the visor of his helmet when Hongjoong drives to the Pixie Forest, a frown carved into his face and annoyance growing steadily. He can’t understand why the stranger didn’t gave him what he asked nicely for. He was ready to pay, leave and never come back again. But no, the guy obviously just grabbed whatever and threw him out. 

It doesn’t matter that it was the best star pie Hongjoong had the pleasure to eat in all of his life. Maybe stardust farmed in the Pixie Forest has a special flavor? 

He parks his motorbike at the same spot like the day before and activates the lock. This time, he doesn’t hesitate to enter the forest and places the glowing stones Mingi borrowed him as soon as he passes the first tree. He didn’t come to play around. 

10 minutes in and the familiar fallen stem comes into view. Another 15 minutes and the clearing is right in front of him. Now he only has to turn to his right and he should be able to see the hut. Ready to face the stranger once again, Hongjoong turns around -- only to run right into a tree with bright orange leaves and purple ivy trailing from the ground up to the treetop. 

“This is a bad joke.” He glares at the innocent tree and then at the flowers and afterwards at the grey sky for good measure. Averting his gaze back to the tree, he narrows his eyes once more and musters the most dangerous voice he’s capable of. “You will let me through, right this instant.”

Nothing happens.

“I’m going to close my eyes now and when I open them again, this tree will be gone.” 

With his eyes closed, he counts to five and opens them again. 

Instead of the tree that was there only seconds ago, a wide bush with thorns and pale rose buds appeared.

“Are you kidding me??” Hongjoong doesn’t care if he’s too loud, he’s fed up with this stupid forest and stupid pixies and stupid stranger.

If it weren’t for Yunho… 

Forced to walk another way, Hongjoong steps into the clearing, mindful of the flowers. They didn’t do anything wrong and don’t deserve to be tramped down. Once he’s on the other side, he turns right once more and starts walking. Every tree he passes has another color, one brighter than the other. It’s almost too much too look at without hurting your eyes. Hongjoong bets this is the pixies’ doing as well, trying to force him to turn back with assaulting colors. 

Yet he is so pissed right now, he walks faster out of spite alone. He doesn’t know how long he wanders around but he doesn’t meet his glowing stones again so the chances of him coming closer to his goal are good.

Or he’s just running deeper into the forest without a chance of finding his way out again. If his mobile would works at least… 

“This is not acceptable!” The loud voice of a man cuts through the silence all of a sudden. Hongjoong’s head whips around, his eyes squinting to see the source of the noise.

“I demand a refund and compensation for my trouble of going here _again_!” The man continues to yell.

After taking a few steps in the direction of the noise, Hongjoong can see them: a bulky man with short beard and expensive looking clothing who clutches the guy from yesterday by the collar of his shirt, shouting insults into the other’s face. 

The poor guy is practically dragged out of his hut by the other who looks ready to throw the first punch. Without thinking, Hongjoong crosses the remaining distance between himself and the pair and forces his way in between them -- an upside of being short and slim. He raises the dagger he carried on his belt until the tip is mere millimeters apart from the man’s nose.

In shock, the man lets go of the guy and looks at Hongjoong scandalized. “This is none of your business, boy.” He hisses after a few second, a dangerous spark replacing the surprise in his eyes. 

“I am no boy and you are unnecessarily rude!” Hongjoong challenges his inner demon and tries to convey it through his eyes and posture. 

The man laughs loudly and boisterously, not minding the weapon that’s still dangerously close to his face. 

“What’s wrong with--” Hongjoong can’t finish his sentence because a whirlwind of orange leaves suddenly rushes down on the man and swirls around his head. The leaves press him backwards with so much force that the man stumbles to the ground with a surprised yell. Hongjoong can only watch as vines start to grow from the ground and creep onto the now screaming and thrashing human. 

“Stop this.” The stranger behind Hongjoong speaks seconds before a vine enters the man’s mouth. In the twinkling of an eye, the vines retreat and the leaves fall lifelessly to the ground.

Hongjoong is still frozen, unable to run away from that cursed forest like the man does.

He can only watch and hope no harm will come upon him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joong's life isn't easy, huh?


	3. Chapter 3

“Sorry, it’s--” The stranger’s voice startles Hongjoong badly. He flinches, his shoulders coming up to his ears with a quick motion.

“I didn’t mean to--” The guy tries again but cuts himself short once more. His words finally register in Hongjoong’s mind. _Sorry? I didn’t mean to?_

He turns around to face the stranger, careful not to move too fast in case that would startle the other - he doesn’t want to appear like a threat. When he finally faces him, the young man has a pained expression on his face, his entire body slightly hunched over and stiff. 

“Are you alright?” Hongjoong can’t help but ask. This person in front of him looks like he’s going to throw up any second now and not like he’s going to let the forest tear Hongjoong apart.

“I--” The guy chews on his bottom lip, eyes darting between Hongjoong and the spot where the rude man laid moments earlier. “Sorry, this wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“It’s okay.” It’s not but he doesn’t want to upset the other further. “Maybe you should sit down?” _And let me run for my life,_ Hongjoong adds in his mind. 

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” The other enters his hut and leaves the door open. Before Hongjoong is able to take the first step away, however, the guy calls for him to come in. 

Hongjoong warily follows inside, his mind and body ready to run any second. Yet the picture that reveals itself to him is rather peaceful: The young man sits besides the window with a steaming cup in his hand and there’s another cup on the small table next to him. Hongjoong sits down as well and takes the offered cup of boiled water with small leaves swimming on its surface.

They remain silent and unmoving as minutes stretch on. 

“Thanks for the tea.” Hongjoong murmurs eventually when he can’t stand this extremely awkward situation anymore. Fortunately, the other looks calm now, way more collected than before which, in turn, lets Hongjoong relax a bit as well. 

“You’re welcome.” The stranger - Hongjoong should really learn his name at this point - sets his cup down and takes a deep breath. “What brings you here?”

“You kind of… mixed up my request yesterday?” It’s embarrassing how high Hongjoong’s voice gets. He clears his throat while the other tilts his head in question. “I mean, the pie was really good but I do need those goblin toenails quite desperately. I’m paying for both of course. You know… because I can’t return the pie now that it’s eaten.”

“Pie.” The other mouths and then realization obviously hits. He groans and closes his eyes, scolding himself under his breath. “I’m sorry, yesterday was stressful. I’m getting your order right now.” 

Hongjoong sips his tea as he watches the other pull open one drawer after the other, then look in several boxes and pots. He grows more and more frustrated, sighs, scoffs and ultimately shoves the last box back into its place with a kick. 

“I fear I’m out of what you asked for. I can offer you some more pie though.” The other’s lips quirk in a resemblance of a smile. 

“As much as I’d like that…” Hongjoong begins and receives a nod in return.

“I will go and get some for you. It shouldn’t take longer than a day.” He pulls out a shoulder bag from one of the bigger boxes on the ground and proceeds to fill it with scissors, a bottle of water and some more stuff Hongjoong can’t see. 

What is he supposed to do now? Go back home, sit and wait only return the next day? 

“Let me go with you.” Hongjoong gets up and dusts off his pants. “I feel bad that you have to go out solely for my request.” 

“Listen- What was your name again?” The other stares at him with bewildered eyes and runs his fingers through his brown hair. 

“Hongjoong.”

“Listen, Hongjoong, I appreciate your help but it’s really not necessary.” The other remains friendly though he’s still looking at Hongjoong in confusion and seemingly wonders why his customer is behaving like this all of a sudden.

Persistent as he is, however, Hongjoong doesn’t accept this answer. Was he afraid of the young man in front of him a few moments ago? Ridiculous. “What’s your name? It’s rude to not introduce yourself back.” 

The other runs his fingers through his brown hair and closes his eyes briefly. “Seonghwa. But that’s not important. If you’d come back tomo--”

“Can I please come with you, Seonghwa?” If he learned anything from Wooyoung these last years it’s manipulating people by being cute. Hongjoong musters his Mingi approved puppy eyes and doesn’t let his gaze stray from Seonghwa even when the other breaks their eye contact and looks down on the table and the stuff laying on it. 

“If something happens to yo--”

“It won’t. I’m able to defend myself.” Hongjoong interrupts him again and Seonghwa’s resolve crumbles visibly. He seems to contemplate his possible choices and sighs at last.

“Okay, I guess you can come with me?” 

Hongjoong grins and waits until Seonghwa finishes packing. When he’s done, he pulls the door close behind them without locking it. 

“We have to walk quite a while. Just tell me if you need a break at any point.” Seonghwa fumbles with the strap of his bag nervously before he straightens himself and strides ahead.

Hongjoong is quick to follow with fast steps. “No problem. Where are we going?” Definitely deeper into the forest, opposed to the direction he came from. 

“There are a few goblins living in the caves where the damp moss grows.” Seonghwa explains as if that would help Hongjoong remotely. 

“So we just drop in, ask to cut their nails and leave? Aren’t goblins supposed to eat humans? And why is the moss damp when the air feels so dry here?” He would have asked even more questions if it weren’t for the expression on Seonghwa’s face. “Sorry, I’m just really curious at times.” Hongjoong ruffles his hair in embarrassment. 

“They only eat lost travellers so you better don’t stray from my side, Mister I-can-defend-myself.” Seonghwa fixes him with a serious gaze.

“Was that… a joke?” Hongjoong asks, partly agitated and confused by the other’s poker face.

Seonghwa looks ahead and walks a bit faster. Hongjoong is still able to see that hint of a smile take over his face, though.

“Don’t joke about something like this!” He whines and sprints to catch up again. Why has the other such long legs? It’s unfair.

“I’m not entirely sure what they’re eating, to be honest.” Seonghwa finally answers truthfully when Hongjoong speed-walks next to him. “I come by regularly to take care of their nails and stuff and in return they let me take those with me.”

Hongjoong tries to wrap his head around that unique arrangement but fails when he pictures Seonghwa kneeling in front of a goblin while he cuts their nails and chats about their daily life like they’re in a manicure salon. This exceeds his imagination greatly. “Why? How?”

Seonghwa shrugs and leaves the path to step into the undergrowth and slow down so Hongjoong can walk next to him properly. “When I was out once I found a goblin leaning against a tree and whining because his foot got stuck in a root thanks to his overgrown toenails. We kind of came up with this arrangement shortly after and now I visit five of them on a biweekly basis.”

Hongjoong nods, his mind still trying to come up with an image that’s not completely ridiculous. “So you get a lot of nails but you’re still out of them? I only know one purpose for them.”

“Ah, you see, when you have lots of useless stuff and get more of it periodically you start to experiment. I came to the conclusion that they’re great fertilizer for my carnivorous plants in the backyard.”

Apparently Hongjoong struck a nerve because Seonghwa doesn’t stop talking afterwards. He points at random plants and flowers and explains to Hongjoong their name and how they’re used best. He also shows him traces of animals nearby and goes on about the fact that blue leaves contain rainwater that you can squeeze out.

Hongjoong listens attentively and asks a few questions to keep the other going. Seonghwa looks so careless and happy when he tells Hongjoong how you can mush red and orange leaves and contain a great base for face masks. 

When Hongjoong asks if Seonghwa is sure they’re not running in circles because all the trees look the same for some time now, he has to explain his experiences with mischievous pixies these last days. Seonghwa actually cracks up and laughs for a solid minute before he mumbles something under his breath and continuous to tell Hongjoong about grey apples that taste like cooked meat - no mention of pixies and thankfully also no word about Hongjoong arguing with a tree.

It’s not until they reach the swamp after about an hour of walking that Seonghwa stops and gestures for Hongjoong to remain quiet as well. He crouches down and gazes over the dirty water in concentration while he takes a small pouch out of his bag.

“What are you doing?” Hongjoong whispers as he kneels down right next to the other.

“Wait and see.” He winks - _Why is he winking, what the--_ \- and throws the content of the pouch into the swamp. The sunflower seeds swim atop of the water only for the blink of an eye. Out of thin air dozen of birds appear and rush down to catch a seed each.

Hongjoong squints his eyes in order to see better but the whirlwind of birds is hard to tell apart. “Wait a second…” He leans forward and steadies himself with a hand on Seonghwa’s arm. “Those aren’t birds, are they?”

“Pixies.” It’s like Seonghwa’s quiet voice has some kind of magical effect on the pixies because they all halt as soon as the word left his mouth. There are dozens of pixies now staring at the pair.

Hongjoong gulps, intimidated by the sheer mass of those creatures. They don’t look like birds at all now that he has the chance to inspect them better: Their colorful wings resemble those of a butterfly while their body is like that of a tiny human. Are those horns he can see in the curly hair of some of them? Suddenly, the pixies fly in different directions and out of sight without further ado.

“They will bring a bridge to cross the swamp.” Seonghwa explains and sits down cross-legged on the patch of green grass behind them. 

“You know what? I don’t question anything anymore.” Hongjoong huffs and slumps down on the ground as well. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the bridge is made of feathers we can actually walk on without falling down.”

Seonghwa snorts. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“This place is strange and really confusing. Though, I guess it’s also pretty.” Hongjoong looks up at the sunlight that shines through the treetops. “So you’re friends with the pixies?”

“Of course! They’re really nice even though they love to play pranks.” Seonghwa extracts his water bottle from his bag and offers it to Hongjoong after taking a large gulp himself. 

“But you live alone?” Hongjoong makes sure.

When Seonghwa doesn’t answer immediately, Hongjoong turns to watch him. 

“I do.”

“That must be lonely…”

Instead of responding, Seonghwa takes the bottle and stores it once more. He stands up and looks around, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. With Seonghwa’s back turned to Hongjoong it’s impossible to tell what the other is thinking, though, Hongjoong assumes it’s nothing pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: goblins and a friendly(?) pixie making an appearance ~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't be confused because I changed the title! A few people asked me if this fanfic is in English so I guessed the German title was a bit misleading.

Somehow Hongjoong is a little bit disappointed when the pixies come back with planks and not some kind of special feathers you could walk on. They do rack themselves though, ten pixies carrying one piece together with great effort. Once the four planks are lined up and form a bridge across the swamp, Seonghwa faces him again. 

“Be careful not to fall. The water is deeper than it seems and I’m pretty sure there is something strange living down there…” Seonghwa scrunches up his face. The pixies huddle together in the air behind them, staring over the other’s shoulders right at Hongjoong. He can feel all those eyes burning spots into his body. 

He forces a smile and nods, obviously not listening at all while his gaze is trained on the swarm - Is a group of pixies called a swarm? - hovering above the dirty water. Seonghwa glances over his shoulder and laughs lightly. “They wait to catch you if you fall.”

“Sure.” Hongjoong suspects it’s more likely that they wait to push him straight into the swamp so he takes a deep breath and steps in front of Seonghwa to walk over the makeshift bridge first, hoping the taller would catch him if these tiny devils try to do something funny. “Let’s do this.” 

He’s about to take the first step when a high-pitched voice chimes above his head. “Run!”

Hongjoong jumps backwards, his back colliding with Seonghwa’s chest, his heart racing uncontrollably and eyes wide. His head snaps up and there it is - a pixie with curly red hair, anthracite grey horns and dark green clothes. “You have to run or the crocodiles will bite your legs off!”

Hands shaking slightly, Hongjoong reaches behind with both hands and clutches Seonghwa’s sleeves. 

“San, quit it.” The other pries Hongjoong’s hands off and gently takes him by his wrists. “Don’t let him fool you. Just walk as usual and you’ll be fine.” 

San grins and flies closer, his eyes sparkling dangerously. He’s hovering right in front of Hongjoong’s nose and taps the tip with his pointer. “Beware of the brain worms though.” 

“Seonghwa--”

“How about you fly ahead and munch on a sunflower seed?” One of Seonghwa’s hand leaves his wrist. Hongjoong sees a seed being thrown from the corner of his eye, it flies past San who rushes after it, catching the seed mere millimeters above the water with a triumphant yell. Some of his friends follow him around, trying to snitch the seed from him while San shouts as he zooms across the swamp.

“Come on.” Seonghwa gently nudges Hongjoong, his left hand still secure on his wrist. “I’m right behind you.”

It might be silly of Hongjoong to be afraid all of a sudden, but this entire day is like some rollercoaster ride kind of crazy dream with one twist after another and so many revelations that don’t necessarily make sense. He doesn’t even know what’s right and what’s only a joke. So yeah, he’s unsure and afraid and his brain is screaming while the planks sway under his feet. He’s walking like he’s in trance, eyes set on the other side of the swamp - the goal they have to reach so close and yet too far - while his brain chants at him to not slip.

The moment Seonghwa takes his hand properly, however, the noise in his head coming to a stop. Somehow it’s easier to walk with his arm twisted back and his fingers intertwined with Seonghwa’s. He takes a deep breath and continues with more steady feet.

“I’m looking forward to see you cross the swamp one more time on your way back.” San giggles as soon as Hongjoong steps from the last plank with a relieved sigh. The pixie hovers cross legged in the air, his clothes ruffled from roughhousing with his friends. 

“I’m looking forward to not bring you any sweets for at least a week.” Seonghwa scolds San who gapes in protest, a string of intelligible words leaving his mouth in a rush.

Now that he’s on firm ground again, Hongjoong feels kind of embarrassed about his behaviour, not to mention that he’s still awkwardly holding Seonghwa’s hand while the other squabbles with the pixie back and forth. 

It shouldn’t be so hard to let go.

Hongjoong carefully detaches his hand from Seonghwa’s, immediately catching the taller’s attention. He tries to cover up his action with a cough in said hand. “Shall we get moving?” 

The look Seonghwa shoots him is unreadable. There’s something flashing in his eyes, though it’s gone within a second. “Yeah, we better get started.”

“Lead the way, tall hermit!” San strikes a pose in the air, his serious expression only holding for a moment before he bursts into giggles that wrack his entire body. Hongjoong doesn’t get what’s so funny and it seems neither does Seonghwa because he musters the pixie with a look of inquiry.

They walk in silence, apart from the melodies San hums. Hongjoong wonders why he didn’t stay back with the other pixies but he doesn’t dare to ask, expecting some kind of mocking answer. Furthermore, he asks himself what time of the day it is. It’s impossible to tell because the forest in dense so he can only guess the position of the sun. He wishes he wouldn’t have forgotten his phone in the hut… 

The twisted path they’re walking on drags on and on like an endless snake gliding in slalom around trees and high bushes. San flies in circles around their heads, rushes forward and waits on a branch until they catch up or sits down on Seonghwa’s shoulder when he needs a break. Seonghwa walks ahead, mindful to adjust his speed to Hongjoong’s much to San’s amusement. The pixie is terrifyingly observant. 

Unfortunately, the silence gives Hongjoong too much time to think or more precisely realize how tired he is. They’ve been walking for hours now, he had been running around before that as well, not to mention the mere hour of sleep he caught last night. Brewing potions throughout the night is nothing new to him Tto get up and be so active shortly after, however, undoubtedly is. Maybe he should consider joining Jongho on a run from time to time, better stamina couldn’t possibly hurt. 

It’s then that he realizes with a start that he forgot about his clients. He buries his face in both hands and groans.

“What hurt your pretty head, hm?” San’s hugs Hongjoong’s left pointer with both arms and tries to pull it away with all his might. Out of spite alone, Hongjoong doesn't move his hands away until he feels San being pulled away. The pixie curses, the insults not really making sense. 

“I’ll tie a blade of grass around your mouth if you don’t stop teasing him.” Seonghwa hisses under his breath while he holds a pouting San up by his wings.

“I was trying to be nice, actually.” He crosses his arms in front of his chest and turns his sulking mouth and wide, innocent eyes to Hongjoong. “Can’t you see he hurt his head? He probably thought too much. Thinking is dangerous for some people.” The last part is stage-whispered behind San’s hand, though Hongjoong hears him loud and clear - presumably like the pixie intended him to. 

Seonghwa crouches down to pluck grass from the ground next to the path, causing San to shriek and trash his wings in the other’s hold. It’s only after San reluctantly apologized and flew ahead, that Seonghwa falls in step next to Hongjoong. 

“I’m sorry, San must be causing you a headache. He loves to tease but he doesn't mean bad.”

Hongjoong shakes his head dismissively. “No, it’s because I forgot about my clients that wanted to come by this afternoon to pick up their potions…”

Seonghwa’s lips fall open with a quiet “oh”. He rubs his neck and averts his eyes to the ground. “I hope you don’t get in trouble because of my mistake.”

“It should be okay. Jongho, my friend, is at my apartment and he should be able to handle it. I hope they pay what we agreed on though…” Yeosang always told him to keep a record of incoming orders and prices. He managed just fine but in situations like these he scolds himself for not listening to his friend who runs a business on his own. 

They continue to walk in silence once more - this time next to each other - and only take a short break to munch on the food Seonghwa brought along. San refuses to talk to his friend but happily devours a tiny little cake Seonghwa prepared for him. Hongjoong is glad for the chance to rest his tired feet for a moment. It’s a miracle they didn’t fall off yet. Though, he thinks it won’t take long until he’s either over the point of no return and doesn’t feel the pain anymore or he drops to the ground. 

He can’t wait to find out which one it’ll be. 

“Finally!” San exclaims some time later and flies back to pull on a strand of Hongjoong’s hair that came loose from his bun. “Destination ahead! I repeat: destination ahead!”

And truly, when Hongjoong lifts his eyes he can see a sunlit clearing about 20 meters in front of them. He’s about to walk faster when Seonghwa holds him back with a hand on his forearm.

“It’s better to stay behind. They don’t know you.” He explains and Hongjoong nods in understanding, a bit disappointed that he can’t see the goblins. He would have loved to see if they really do look like they’re described in books. 

As soon as they reach the clearing, he sits down on a tree stub a couple of steps away from the path. San plops down on the top of his head and together they watch Seonghwa approaching the cave in the hill that ranges from one side of the clearing way past the other side. It’s covered in glistening moss and a few thorny vines. 

“What business do you have with the goblins?” It’s the first time San’s question doesn’t have any undertone. He sounds genuinely interested. 

“I need their toenails for a potion. A friend hurt himself badly.” 

“Your name is Hongjoong, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Is your hair dyed?”

“Yeah.”

“Your roots are showing.”

“I know.”

“Silver is a pretty awesome color.”

“Yeah.”

“This was a really long walk.”

“Yeah.”

“The sun is yellow.”

“Yeah.”

“Seonghwa is pretty handsome.”

“Yeah. Wait-- What?” Hongjoong tilts his head up, trying to look at San. The pixie caught him off guard with that question, he didn’t even think about his answer. 

San snickers. “Oh please, it was so obvious you were reluctant to let go of his hand.”

Was it? Did Seonghwa notice too? 

“Can’t blame you.” San plucks a few more strands from Hongjoong’s bun and starts to braid them.

Seonghwa is handsome, there’s no denying that. Plus, he’s not that strange anymore. He’s actually really friendly and kind. Maybe they’re able to get to know each other some more on the way back, preferable when San isn’t around to make fun of him anymore. Though, he guesses the pixie is okay - a little bit annoying but it’s actually entertaining most of the time.

“Let’s hope they won’t bite his head off. Would be a shame.”

“San!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had way too much fun writing San


End file.
